THE JOURNAL
Arcane, Hong Kong
From Cape Town to your town, six fresh spots with the appropriate wardrobe pairings.
As spring begins to tickle the northern hemisphere, our thoughts turn away from wood-panelled club rooms and secretive dives, and lean instead towards restaurants with sun-dappled glades, terraces, patios or yards. Balmy breezes and blue skies whet our appetites, and a hard-to-get outdoor table is always a pleasure. Happily, in 2015, such venues are not in short supply. The following list rounds up the world’s best alfresco experiences, from poolside networking in Cape Town to stargazing in the hills of Tuscany. So let’s take this outside.
Mission, London
Mission might be tucked away beneath railway arches, but it boasts a 40-seater terrace
The only wine bar in London to put its money on stellar California cuvées, this is the second venue from Mr Michael and Ms Charlotte Sager-Wilde, the couple behind Sager + Wilde in Hackney. This year marks Mission’s debut summer season, though its 40-seater terrace, barely two minutes from Bethnal Green Underground station, saw plenty of brunch action on clement days last autumn. The awning and pavement heaters are on order, just in case – but weather permitting, you’ll be able to enjoy the Argentine grill (and leafy view) from Easter to October. Mission is tucked into a row of railway arches that has been transformed since last summer: the beer bar next door is fun, too, and chef Mr Robin Gill of south London’s Dairy and Manor bistros has taken a site. missione2.com
Courgettes, mint and ricotta at Mission
What to order Bar snacks such as crispy brawn or panzerotti (like empanadas), and a bottle of Au Bon Climat Chardonnay, or Sager + Wilde’s own Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills.
What to wear
Il Salviatino, Tuscany
Dine anywhere you like in the hotel’s 12 acres of sun-drenched historic gardens
Five miles outside Florence, overlooking that heavenly skyline, stands Mr Marcello Pigozzo’s beautifully realised hillside hotel and spa: 45 rooms and suites among 12 acres of historic gardens and parkland. It took €15m to reincarnate this formerly abandoned villa for the 21st century, hanging on to the frescoes and marble fireplaces, and injecting sleek technology and comfort alongside antiques and works of art. You can eat outdoors virtually anywhere you like: by the pool, in leafy seclusion by the greenhouses or, to feast on the view you came for, on the panoramic terrace, from April to October. Il Salviatino’s executive chef, Mr Roberto Cordisco, is known for his high-end take on Tuscan cuisine, and devises simple, flavourful menus, using organic herbs, vegetables and fruit from the estate’s kitchen garden. salviatino.com
Braised veal cheek in Chianti sauce with potato foam and candied tomato at Il Salviatino
What to order Orecchiette with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and courgette cream with fresh mint, then beef tagliata with tomato carpaccio.
What to wear
Batstone Pool, Cape Town
Cape Town’s – rather warmer – answer to Shoreditch House
Intended to provide Cape Towners with their own, sunnier version of Shoreditch House, Batstone Pool took shape in an incredible seven weeks earlier this year – its tech-strategist founders had already been plotting to put a pool and work/ social space on the roof of their own HQ, so they were super-charged with ideas when the Cape Quarter site came up. Drop in to bag one of the 30 loungers, and bask as you work. There are tables for meeting, tables for eating, a co-working pavilion, café area with parasols, and a restaurant and bar. Food is light and simple, and the drinks list favours wines from small South African producers, craft beers, and locally made Juicebox juices. batstonepool.com
It’s not all work here – the well-stocked bar is testimony to that fact
What to order The BAT, aka bacon, avocado and tomato open sandwich on sourdough, or the vegetarian version with beetroot.
What to wear
Arcane, Hong Kong
Arcane is a lush tropical paradise in the heart of bustling Hong Kong
Beloved of London gastronomes in the noughties for his Michelin-starred skills at Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia, Australian-born Mr Shane Osborn has re-emerged in Hong Kong with a solo venture in the central business district. The feel is discreet, smart and stylish, with David Mellor silverware and Zalto glasses on pristine linen, and fine Burgundies and clarets displayed in a floor-to-ceiling wine cellar. The terrace, seating 20, is designed to resemble an English formal garden, only thick with tropical shrubs, and a significant quota of edible plants, herbs and vegetables, which Mr Osborn deploys alongside elite produce from Japan, Australia, the USA and the British Isles (note the Guinness ice cream served with the chocolate tart). arcane.hk
Seared wagyu with spinach purée
What to order Pickled winter vegetables, red vein sorrel, ras el hanout sour cream and shaved chestnuts, then roast suckling pig with choucroute and root veg purée.
What to wear
Coogee Pavilion Rooftop, Sydney
Go straight from beach to bar at this vast Med-inspired establishment
New from one of Sydney’s busiest restaurant groups, this vast beachside destination covers three levels, involving a pub/ pizza parlour/ oyster bar/ breakfast hang-out on the ground floor, a fine-dining restaurant in the pipeline, and an expansive rooftop with four indoor and outdoor bars. Led by well-travelled executive chef Mr Jordan Toft, the rooftop kitchen turns out Eastern Med-inspired dishes to assuage post-beach emptiness, or accompany thirst-quenching cocktails such as the minty beachside gin fizz. Get there early to nab a love seat, settee or stools for sunset – Coogee’s superb coastline is much-loved, and this is a good spot from which to ogle it. merivale.com.au/coogeepavilion
When it comes to alfresco, the Aussies are true experts
What to order Crisp Lebanese bread with olive oil and za’atar, chicken hearts with wild cucumber pickle, salted pork neck skewer with fresh dill tzatziki.
What to wear
Maison Premiere, New York
Oysters and absinthe are the delicacies of choice at Maison Premiere
The 1,000sqft garden at Brooklyn’s New Orleans-inspired Maison Premiere is a beauty, dripping with green shade, draped with vines and trailing wisteria, and scented with hyssop and lemon balm. A table here (vintage white cast-iron from India) is a real treat, and so are the menus. Primarily devoted to oysters and absinthe, they now also feature strapping dishes such as lamb neck or venison, but we recommend homing in hard on the shellfish – which includes glittering bivalve prizes from Maine, Prince Edward Island and Rhode Island. The drinks list is also inexhaustibly brilliant. maisonpremiere.com
The spectacular brunch menu features shellfish and confit duck alongside familiar favourites
What to order Any of the 27 absinthe varieties available, or a cocktail, such as the arsenic and old lace, made with Duplais Verte Absinthe, Plymouth Gin, Crème de Violette and Vermouth.
What to wear
A.O.C., Los Angeles
The garden-like outdoor terrace at A.O.C.
Mses Suzanne Goin and Caroline Stynes’ A.O.C., which pioneered the idea of small plates with wines by the glass when it originally opened in 2002, moved to its present-day site two years ago, gaining a cocktail bar and one of LA’s nicest open-air settings. Goin’s menus are seasonal and abundant: the veggie sides are a feast in themselves, and sharing platters such as “Ode to Zuni” roast chicken with panzanella, or chilli-spiced pork flank, are ultra-generous. The wine list kicks off with Hungarian fizz and bio Côtes Catalanes, and includes blingy Sine Qua Non, thrilling Arbois Chardonnay, and volcanic whites from Italy. aocwinebar.com
A.O.C.’s menu includes arugula and blood oranges with dates, parmesan and marcona almonds Aaron Cook
What to order For weekend brunch, Spanish fried chicken is served alongside cornmeal waffles with jamon butter and maple syrup. At cocktail hour, it comes with romesco aioli and chilli-cumin butter.
What to wear